UN Puts Italy in Charge of Somalia
What Happened
In an unusual arrangement, the United Nations appointed Italy as the trustee of Somalia for a 10-year period. This was part of the UN's post-war decolonization process, where Italy, despite losing its colonies, was given temporary administrative control to help Somalia transition to independence.
Impact on Citizenship
During Italy's UN-mandated administration of Somalia, special citizenship rules were in place. Children born to Italian fathers in Somalia between 1950 and 1960 automatically received Italian citizenship. While some Somali residents received special legal status during this period, they were not granted full Italian citizenship, and these special statuses could not be passed down to future generations.
colonialism